Glory satellite launch delayed one day by countdown glitch

View full sizeNASAThe Taurus rocket sits on the stand in California this morning

HUNTSVILLE, AL - The launch of NASA's Glory satellite has been delayed at least 24 hours after a surprise reading appeared minutes before liftoff today on a console linking the control center to the Taurus rocket on the launch pad. The satellite will study the characteristics of so-called "aerosols" or small particles in the atmosphere.

A NASA press release announcing the delay said, "During the final 15 minutes before Wednesday's scheduled launch, the
vehicle interface control console, a ground interface with Orbital
Sciences' Taurus XL rocket, gave an unexpected reading. The cause and
potential effect of the reading was not fully understood. With a
48-second available launch window, there was insufficient time to
analyze the issue, causing the launch to be postponed. Members of the
Taurus team are troubleshooting the issue."

The earliest a new launch attempt can be made at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is 4:09 a.m. CST on Thursday.